The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-26
A FULL-GR0WN STATESMAN
Facts Not Generally Known About One
Who Is Talked Of for President.
John Sherman, Lawyer, Financier, Orator,
and Statesman-A Square, Open Fight for
Nomination-A Great Executive Officer.


ran to hir, with blood -curdline tale of how one
of the Shermans-by name, William Tecumseh
had promised a regiment of worthless recruits
that if they didn't behave themselves he would
make a regiment of regulars fire on them, and
try little ball and powder persuasion. Mr.
Lincoln looked very grave, and answered:
well, they'd better look out. Those Shermans
so almighty apt to do what they say they're
going to do"
Twenty volumes could not have described
John Sherman better.
TO hear his enc lies describe him one would
imagine Satan to be useful and amiable mem
of society alongside of him. To read the cam
paign documents put forth by the Sherman
clubs. would hardly think Raphael. the arch
angel, would appear to advantage by the side of
him: but in one thing they united-and that
is, that in his ugly head, perched his long,
thin body, be carries amount of brains second
to no man in this country. If, as somebody has
defined it, enough common sense is genius. Mr.
Sherman is a man of genius-for never did any
man exist whose ideas were more practical or
more readily soluble in experience. To the be-
levers in heredity, Mr.. Sherman is living
proof of all their theories He is the son and
grandson of eminent lawyers, and, strange to
say. he typifes one of the two sections of what
must be called for want OF better name, the
arstocracy of America. One is the landed aris-
tocracy of the Southern colonies and the other is
the intellectual and learned New England
settlers. The Shermans are not Irish. as their
name would imply. They came from Essex, in
England. and from the same stock sprung
George f. Hoar and William NJ Evarts No
doubt, lin John Sherman's pedigree might be
found here and there some of those iron willed,
mind-loving cergymen, poor yet learned who
went about the business of saving souls like
Cromwell did about wallopng the royalists. Or
Mr.. Sherman's own parents, his father died at
forty years OF age, being at the time one OF the
judges of the Supreme Court of Ohio. his
widow, Mary Hoyt, was lett, although still
young with eleven children to provide for, the
oldest being eighteen and the youngest only
few months old. The Shermans always speak
of this mother with respect and admiration. She
of those valiant women that made this
country great. She had followed her husband
out Ohio the year after he had gone
from Norwalk, in Connecticut riding on horse
back the whole way and carrying the saddle
before her her infant child Those who remem-
Der her in after years represent her as woman
plainly indicated in her manners, which did not
in any way partake of the frontierswoman's. 1t
enough to appall any woman to look at the
brood around Mrs. Sherman. and conjecture how
they to be decently clothed and fed. for
Judge Sherman died poor. as Daniel Webster
said of most lawyers. More than that, they
needed to be educated. 1t is not too much to
credit to the mother herself an educated woman,
this tenacity in holding their own in the social
SCALE this craving which all these children de-
veoped for something more than mere comfort
and responsibility. The Shermans were clan
nish. They came forward to help the widow
and the orphans and they seem to have
helped thein to good purpose. John Sherman
taken at six years Of age by his uncle,
for whom he named who lived in Ohio,
and who maintained him. sending him to good
schools meanwhile, until he was fourteen years
old. Then. being tall, strong, determined
sort of fellow, he was thought old enough to
make his own living. He got place as rod
man on what was called the Muskingum i'm
provement and remained there until he was
turned at sixteen for being an offensive parti
of the Wing persuasion. 1t is almost inconceiv-
able how, in the good old days the victors Cob
bled up the spoils. When Ohio went Wing all
the Democratic employees of the Muskingum i'm
provement were turned out to make room for
Gratis were not backward in returning the COM
pliment. Meanwhile, Charles Sherman, an
elder brother. had established himself as law
yer at Mansfield, o.. and, sending for John
Sherman, the elder brother put him to work in
the law Office. In those days Mansfield was
great place for law students. and IN the moot
court which was established John Sherman was
frequently pitted against another young man
whose name may be heard in the next national
convention-William B. Allison.
1t is sometimes said that Mr.. Sherman is q
GOOD Init not a great LAWYER and it is known that
he is little sensitive on this point In refuta-
ton. his admirers refer to his practice In Ohio,
where, at a bar remarkable for its acumen, he
took high stand from the first But while no.
body doubts that his abilities. when applied to
any science, could master it, yet he has devoted
himself to the science OF governing men for
more than thirty years, to the exclusion of other
things. He s always a little wary in sum-
ming up against men of acknowledged great
legal powers in the Senate. He knows what he
knows, and his very caution in venturing on
ticklish constitutional ground shows that he is
not altogether sure of his footing. He Is pre-
eminently a man of affairs, but he is not versed
in subtleties. His public career since he entered
Congress, in 1885, is familiar to be described.
In Washington, whore he Is better known
than anywhere in the world, a great change of
sentiment has been going in his favor. For
a long time he was under the shadow OF the
Hayes unpopuarity. 1t was an unpopularity
not confined to Democrats. 1t would amaze a
good many people to know how frankly eminent
Republicans repudiate Mr. Hayes Himself
harmless, well-meaning man, he incurred all
the odum of the tool of his party. The wisdom
of 1877 is more than doubted among Republic
ans in Congress to-day. They scarcely reply to
illusions to it on the floor OF the House and
Senate. and it would scarcely be overstating it
to say that they recognize an error of judgment.
No better proof could be brought than the fact
that in the last presidential campaign, during
the season of doubt, there was everywhere,
among Democrats and Republicans, ex-
ss doss Whether oSa 1ss
a asds Silent this He puon Or Mr. Hayes
around his little finger. and inspired him not
only with fear but with some dislike of the
longheaded Secretary of the Treasury. 1t is In
an executive department that Mr.. Sherman
shines He has tremendous capicity for max
ing people mind their business. He did not
weary himself with immense mass of detail
that encountered Judge Folger. He simply made
mis- subordinates understand that they had to
look sharp after their duties, and if they did not
he would look sharp after them. His advent
into the Treasury was looked forward to with
CONSERVATION by the employees. Soon they found
shat the lank. cold man in the Secretary's Office
was the easiest man in the world to get on with
if they did their duty and if they did not. there
was o earthly way of getting with him. The
most unfiinching party man, he scoffed at the
idea of turning copyists and charwomen
out for political reasons. He few at higher
game.
Ever since then the cloud of unpopularity has
been melting away. The closer he is regarded,
the bigger he appears-the sure test OF great
ness. AS politician Mr.. Sherman is not infal
lible He is more closely allied with ex-senator
Malone than any other Republican In the Sen
ate and whether in the long run this is good poll
tics bad, has long since passed out of the re-
gion of conjecture. Still Malone will carry
twenty-four votes to the next national conven-
IL nut 0f ar1xy